Activity Introduction
Quick summary: Kid/s will explore cultural diversity by thinking about how colours make the world a more interesting place. In particular, they explore the differences between skin, hair and eye colours. You and your kid/s will then work together to create self-portraits to celebrate Harmony Week.
This activity is a great one to do together as a family.
Ideal for: Early Learning, Lower Primary.
Themes:
- be creative
- think and connect
Time required: 20 minutes.
Curriculum connections: Intercultural understanding, Critical and creative thinking.
When we talk about diversity, we are talking about understanding, respecting and accepting that each of us is unique. Even though we are all human, we may have differences in race, gender, age, religion, appearance, cultural background, disability, and sexual orientation. Recognising and celebrating these differences is key to creating a diverse and supportive environment in which children can thrive.
For young kids, the things that make us different can begin with those things that we can see, such as eye, hair and skin colour. Many of us might feel uncomfortable talking about skin colour. Still, there is nothing wrong with talking about the colour of skin, and you can approach it in the same way you might talk about hair and eye colour by taking a curious and respectful stance. Teaching kids not to talk about skin colour can be harmful as we are telling them that there is something ‘bad’ about this discussion, which may ultimately contribute to racism.
Kids will notice the differences between themselves and others, but their observations will likely be innocent as they describe and categorise what they see. Having conversations at a young age about differences in things, like skin colour and cultural background, is incredibly important in developing the foundations for having more sophisticated discussions about race and difference as they get older.
Celebrating events like Harmony Week is a great way to tune kids into the topic of diversity while cultivating a future where we are all treated equally.
This activity has been developed in partnership with Faber-Castell. Faber-Castell is celebrating cultural diversity with their World Colours range! Each set includes colours chosen to blend or match skin tones from across the world, fostering inclusivity and helping children represent their unique identities.
EYLF Outcomes: Outcomes 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1
Curriculum codes:
ELC-focused lesson: Faber-Castell – World Colours – Early Learning
- Art materials including Faber-Castell World Colours materials or other art materials that represent a range of skin, hair and eye colours
- World Colours Flashcards
- Colour Chart (optional)
- These images, printed:
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[email protected] resources are designed for parents and teachers to use with children in the home environment. They can be used as stand-alone activities or built into existing curriculum-aligned learning programs. Our [email protected] series includes two types of resources. The first is fun and challenging real-world activities for all ages, and the second is self-directed lessons for upper primary and secondary students. These lessons support independent learning in remote or school settings.
Faber-Castell has long understood the importance of creativity to all people, especially young people, while continuously searching for environmentally friendly processes and high-quality materials to enhance children’s creative experience throughout every development phase. For more information about Faber-Castell, click here.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
